Container



Oct. 9, 1951 R. E. J. NORDQUIST 5 1 CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 31, 1948 Oct. 9, 1951 R. E. J. NORDQUIST CONTAINER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 31, 1948 INVENTOR. RONALD 5.1 NOPDQU/ST Z Zf/ OQMM x).

A TTOENEYS Patented Oct. 9, 1951 CONTAINER Ronald E. J. Nordquist, Maplewood, N. J., as-

signor to American Can Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 31, 1948, Serial No. 68,528

3 Claims.

This invention relates to containers for the packaging and retail delivery of liquids such as milk, fruit juices or the like and has particular reference to a combination closure of improved construction comprising a closure element for sealing and exposing a filling and dispensing opening in a container wall and an auxiliary closure element and means in said closure element which permits simultaneous movement of both closure elements into non-sealing position.

The invention constitutes an improvement upon the container illustrated and described in United States Patent 2,085,979 issued July 6, 1937, to John M. Hothersall, and is especially an improvement on a hingeable plug closure element which catches on or interengages an auxiliary closure element or protective overcap in such a manner'that both closure elements may be lifted simultaneously out of sealing posiiton preparatory to filling the containers.

In the production of rectangular fibre containers of the Hothersall type it is the practice to provide a hinge plug closure secured to the top wall of the container for closing and sealing a filling and dispensing opening of said top wall while the whole container is still under the sterilizing influence of the hot parafiin bath, thereby maintaining the interior of the container in a sterile condition. These sterile containers are then shipped from the factory to the dairies or other filling plants. At the dairies or other filling plants the containers are opened by unsealing the hinge plug closures and the containers are filled and rescaled under sanitary conditions to assure the consumer of the wholesomeness and purity of the product sealed therein.

In the packaging of milk and other products, it is also desirable to protect the parts of the exterior of the container around the pouring opening by means of an overcap or shield which covers the plug closure and the top end member of the container for protecting these parts against contamination. Such an overcap or auxiliary closure may be in the form of a separate shield of of the type that is hingeably secured to the container. It is to the latter form that the instant invention is particularly directed. Hence, in order to uncover the filling and dispensing opening at the dairies where these containers are filled, both the overcap and the plug closure must be lifted and swung back to expose the filling and dispensing opening,

The present invention contemplates a liquidit at the dairies or other filling place requires relatively few or no changes in the filling equipment already in use.

An object of the invention is the provision in such containers of an improved combination of friction plug hinge closure and auxiliary closure or overcap closure having interengaging parts which permit simultaneous lifting of both closures by a simple lifting device.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the upper part of a sealed container embodying the present invention and illustrating a hinged overcap in closed position on top of the con tainer;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing a hinged overcap and a hinged plug closure interengaged and in a partially open position, with parts broken away and part in section;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the hinged overcap separated from the hinge plug closure and disposed in a full open position exposing the closure and the top of the container surrounding the filling and dispensing opening;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view of the closed and sealed container illustrated in Fig. 1, the view being taken substantially along a vertical plane indicated by the lines 4-4 in that figure;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top plan view taken substantially along the line 5-5 in Fig. 4, with parts broken away and parts in section; and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially along a vertical plane indicated by the lines 6-6 in Fig. 5.

As an exemplary embodiment of the instant invention the drawings illustrate a rectangular container comprising a fibre tubularbody II closed at its upper end with a sanitary, fiat, fibre top end member H. The bottom end of the container may be closed in any suitable manner, such as for example as shown in the above mentioned Hothersall patent.

The body II is formed preferably from a single sheet or blank of fibrous material folded at right angles to provide four side walls I3 and having the side edges of the sheet overlapped to form a vertical lap side seam H. The overlapped seam edges are secured with a suitable adhesive to produce a liquid-proof side seam.

sections I (Figs. 4 and 6) which are bent outwardly at I6 to provide a horizontal supporting shoulder or ledge I1. The outer terminal ends or extensions of the ledge I1 are folded upwardly and thence horizontally inwardly in spaced overlapping relation to the ledge in a flange I8.

The top end member I2 is of a configuration and dimension corresponding with the shape and size of a horizontal cross-section of the container which preferably is square. The top end member I2 has a marginal edge portion I9 which is offset from the panel a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the body flange IS. The width of the marginal edge portion I 9 is substantially equal to the width of the body ledge I1 upon which it is supported and adhesively secured when the end member is assembled with the body, so that, when the body fiange I8 is folded over and sealed to this marginal edge portion I9, the top surface of the flange I8 is substantially flush with the upper surface of the panel of the top end member (Figs. 3, 4 and 6). The offset portion of the end member thus secured between the supporting ledge I1 and the inwardly turned body flange I8 forms an end seam 2|.

The top end member I2 is also provided with a circular filling and dispensing opening 22 through which products are filled into the container and for dispensing the products subsequently therefrom. The opening 22 preferably is located adjacent one corner of the container (Figs. 2, 3 and 4). v

The opening 22 in the top end member is closed by means of a hingeable closure 23 which has a countersunk or drawn friction plug or reclosure element 24 which fits snugly in and closes and seals the opening 22. The closure 23 overlaps upon a part of the top end member surrounding the opening and upon the end seam bordering two adjoining side edges at the comer of the container nearest the dispensing opening (Fig. 5). The closure 23 is provided with a tail or hinge lug 25 at its inner end which is secured to the top end member I2 by a staple 28, permitting the closure to be swung up and back to uncover the opening 22 for filling the container and for dispensing its contents.

The container of the instant invention is protected by an overcap or shield 21 which may be formed from the same fibrous material as the body of the container and is adapted to cover and to protect the top end member I2 and the hinged friction plug closure 23 and to keep these parts clean and sanitary (Figs. 1, 2 and 3) Hence for this purpose the overcap 21 also is rectangular in shape and slightly larger than the top end member I2 so that it overlaps upon the outer surfaces of the top end member and the hinge closure and also over certain of the surrounding peripheral edges of the container.

The overcap 21 is adapted "to uncover the closure 23 and a part of the top end member I2 to gain access to the opening 22. For this purpose it is divided by a crease line 3| formed in the overcap and extending diagonally across the top of the container, defining a fixed or stationary triangular portion 32 and a free or hinged triangular portion 33 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4). The fixed triangular portion 32 is secured by a suitable adhesive to the top end member and to the end seam 2| along two adjoining side edges remote from the opening 22, thus securing the overcap to the container. The marginal edges of the fixed triangular portion 32 border upon and extend along the peripheral edges of the end seam 2| (see also Fig. 3). The free triangular portion 33 is hingeable along the crease line 3| relative to the fixed triangular portion and to the container for exposing the closure 23 and the opening 22 for filling and dispensing purposes.

The free triangular portion 33 is provided with marginal edge portions or flanges 34 which ex- .tend outwardly beyond the end seam 2| along the end seam 2| when the triangular hinge porthe triangular hinged portion 33 of the overcap 21 is in raised position, i. e., at right angles to the fixed portion 32, and the hingeable closure 23 is in its open position. Both of these positions are shown in Fig. 3. After coating, the friction plug 24 then is inserted into the opening 22 for closing the container and the free triangular hinge portion is swung down on the closure 23 and the top of the container surrounding it. The marginal edge portions 34 are folded over the end seam 2| and the container now is in the condition best illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4. The completed containers thus temporarily closed and sealed are shipped to dairies or other filling plants.

Upon arrival at the dairy the described containers must first be opened to permit filling through the opening 22 which involves lifting and swinging back of both the hinged triangular portion 33 and the closure 23. In order to overcome the many problems of separately engaging, lifting and swinging back of the overcap and closure, the present invention is directed to facilitating this operation by lifting them together out of sealing position in a single action. For this purpose the closure 23 is formed with a pair of tabs 35 which project outwardly from opposite edges of the closure as best shown in Fig. 3 and extend beyond the container end seam 2| and into the space formed by the curl of the marginal edge portions 34 of the overcap 21, as best shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Hence as the hinged triangular portion 33 of the overcap 21 is lifted upwardly relative to the container, the marginal edge portions 34 slip out of engagement'with the end seam 2| and hook beneath the overhanging tabs 35 on the closure 23. When the tabs 35 are thus engaged and caught by the curved marginal edge portions 34, the closure 23 is lifted simultaneously with the triangular portion 33 of the overcap 21 and the friction plug 24 is thus removed from the opening 22 as best shown in Fig. 2.

It will be observed by reference to Figs. 2; 3 and 4 of the drawings that the plug closure'23 is hingeable along a line adjacent and parallel with the crease or hinge line 3| of the overcap. With the free triangular hinge portion 33 and the closure 23 pivoted along their respective hinge lines, the engagement of the closure with the overcap is maintained until the friction plug 24 is withdrawn from the filling opening 22. When the friction plug 24 is clear of the filling opening 22 the tabs 35 of the closure 23 slip out from under the curved edge portions 34 of the overcap portion 33 as best shown in Fig. 3 and thereby releases the closure from the overcap. Thereafter the closure 23 may be readily hinged into a fully opened position to permit filling of the container.

After filling, the closure 23 is swung forward and the friction plug 24 reinserted into the filling and dispensing opening 22 and locking the closure in place by expanding the side wall of the friction plug in the conventional manner as described in the hereinbefore mentioned Hothersall patent, thus closing and sealing the container.

Following the sealing of the friction plug, the hinged triangular portion 33 of the overcap is folded down over the top Of the clsoure 23 and the top end member [2 and is secured in place by crimping or curling the marginal edge portions or flanges 34 over and under the end seam 2| along the two free edges thereof. The tabs 35 on the closure 23 are incorporated in this end seam and in no way interfere with proper sealing of the container. The crimped flanges 34 retain the overcap in protective position maintaining the container parts in substantially sterile condition during handling of the container while in shipment and storage and until the container is opened by the consumer.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that variouschanges may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A container, comprising in combination, a body,- an end member secured to said body in an end seam and having a filling and dispensing opening adjacent said seam, a closure including a friction plug for closing and sealing said opening, said closure having a hinged portion at one end secured to said end member and having a transversely projecting tab at the other end extending beyond said end seam when said plug is in closing position, and an overcap overlapped upon and secured to the container body for protecting said closure and said end member in a substantially sterile condition, said overcap having a hingeable portion adapted to be lifted for exposing said closure, said hinged portion also having a marginal edge folded around said end seam and enclosing said closure tab to hold said hinge portion in protective position on the con- "ainer, said marginal edge when the overcap hinged portion is lifted being pulled from said end seam and brought into engagement with said closure tab so that continued lifting of said overcap raises said friction plug out of said opening for the filling and dispensing of the container contents.

2. A rectangular container. comprising in combination a rectangular body, a rectangular end member secured to said body in an end seam, said end member having a filling and dispensing opening in one corner thereof, a hingeable friction closure for closing and sealing said opening, said friction closure being securedto said top end member at a location spaced inwardly from said opening on a diagonal line extending across said filling and dispensing opening from said corner, said friction closure being hingeable along a line of bend, said friction closure also having a projection extending beyond said end seam, and an overcap hingeable along a line of bend spaced further from the corner than the hinge line of said friction closure, said overcap having a marginal flange bent into curved looking position over said end seam adjacent said corner with said closure projection confined within the curved flange, said flange when said overcap is raised on its hinged line first being disengaged from said end seam and then being engaged with said friction closure projection whereby both friction closure and overcap are simultaneously raised to expose said opening for filling the container through the opening.

3. A container comprising in combination, a body, an end member secured to said body in an end seam and having a filling and dispensing opening adjacent said seam, a closure including a friction plug for closing and sealing said opening, said closure having a hinge lug at one end secured to said end member at a position spaced inwardly from said opening and providing a. hinge line for the closure, the opposite free end of said closure extending beyond said end seam as a projecting tab when said plug is in closing position, said projecting tab moving along a circular path with its center on said hinge line when said closure is moved from closing position, and an overcap secured to the end seam for covering over said closure and said end member, said overcap having a hingeable portion overlying said closure and being movable on a hinge line parallel to and spaced inside of the hinge line of said closure, said hinge portion also having a marginal edge folded around said end seam and enclosing said closure tab to hold said overcap hinge portion in protective position on the container, said marginal edge when the overcap hinge portion is lifted being pulled from said end seam and moved in a circular path of travel having its center on said hinge line and having a radius greater than the radius of movement of said closure, said circular paths of travel causing engagement of said overcap marginal edge with said closure tab to effect raising of said friction plug out of said opening, further movement of both overcap marginal edge and closure tab causing release of the opened closure as said overcap hinged portion is raised into uncovering position.

RONALD E. J. NORDQUIST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PA'I'ENTs Number Name Date 2,128,893 Bergstein Sept. 8, 1938 2,272,203 Hothersall Feb. 10, 1942 2,311,333 French Feb. 16, 1943 2,317,355 Bensel Apr. 2'7 1943 2,393,758 Downing Jan. 29, 1946 

